Determination of Lithium Ion Distributions in Nanostructured Block Polymer Electrolyte Thin Films by XPS Depth Profiling

We present the first experimental, quantitative determination of lithium salt distributions in nanostructured block polymer electrolyte thin films. High resolution C60+ depth profiling X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was employed to resolve the ion distribution in a lamellar forming block polymer electrolyte thin film, which is considered challenging by conventional scattering or electron microscopy techniques. This experimental technique is applicable to investigations of nanoscale distributions of molecules in a myriad of nanostructured polymer thin film systems. Our results have important implications for understanding ion transport in nanostructured polymer systems and provide crucial insights for the future design and optimization of block polymer structures for high efficiency energy storage devices.